Monitor Performance of the Selected Subprocesses
Monitor the performance of the selected subprocesses to
determine their capability to satisfy their quality and processperformance
objectives, and identify corrective action as
necessary.
The intent of this specific practice is to do the following:
- Determine statistically the process behavior expected from the subprocess
- Appraise the probability that the process will meet its quality and process-performance objectives
- Identify the corrective action to be taken, based upon a statistical analysis of the process performance data
Corrective action may include renegotiating the affected project
objectives, identifying and implementing alternative subprocesses, or
identifying and measuring lower level subprocesses to achieve greater
detail in the performance data. Any or all of these actions are intended
to help the project use a more capable process.
A prerequisite for comparing the capability of a selected subprocess
against its quality and process-performance objectives is that the
performance of the subprocess is stable and predictable with respect to
its measured attributes.
Process capability is analyzed for those subprocesses and those
measured attributes for which (derived) objectives have been
established. Not all subprocesses or measured attributes that are
statistically managed are analyzed regarding process capability.
The historical data may be inadequate for initially determining whether
the subprocess is capable. It also is possible that the estimated natural
bounds for subprocess performance may shift away from the quality
and process-performance objectives. In either case, statistical control
implies monitoring capability as well as stability.
- Compare the quality and process-performance objectives to the
natural bounds of the measured attribute. This comparison provides an appraisal of the process capability for each
measured attribute of a subprocess. These comparisons can be displayed
graphically, in ways that relate the estimated natural bounds to the objectives or
as process capability indices, which summarize the relationship of the objectives
to the natural bounds.
- Monitor changes in quality and process-performance objectives
and selected subprocess’ process capability.
- Identify and document subprocess capability deficiencies.
- Determine and document actions needed to address subprocess
capability deficiencies. Examples of actions that can be taken when a selected subprocess’ performance
does not satisfy its objectives include:
- Changing quality and process-performance objectives so that they are within the subprocess’ process capability
- Improving the implementation of the existing subprocess so as to reduce its normal variability (reducing variability may bring the natural bounds within the objectives without having to move the mean)
- Adopting new process elements and subprocesses and technologies that have the potential for satisfying the objectives and managing the associated risks
- Identifying risks and risk mitigation strategies for each subprocess’ process capability deficiency